The invention relates to a handrail drive for escalators, moving sidewalks or similar people movers.
German Auslegeschrift (published examined patent application); 1,506,480 discloses a handrail drive for escalators and the like which includes a handrail drive wheel that is partially enclosed by the handrail, is driven by a stepped chain wheel and is disposed between the two reversal wheels of the handrail. The handrail is urged against the handrail drive wheel by a belt. The handrail drive wheel is coaxially connected in a known manner with the stepped chain wheel so as to rotate together with it. The stepped chain engages the circumferential region of the stepped chain wheel where it faces away from the pressure belt. The drawback of this prior art device is essentially that the same requires a relatively large amount of space as well as a large number of reversal elements for the handrail.